Reappearance of foreign beggars poses security threat - Myles Abadoo

Cape Coast – Private citizen Mr. Myles David Abadoo is urging the government to act with urgency to clear foreign beggars from Ghana's streets, warning that their resurgence presents a national security challenge.

In a telephone interview on GBC Radio Central's 'Wɔnfrɛ Yie' show this on Saturday, November 29, 2025, Abadoo stressed that Ghanaians are not anti-foreigner but insist that those who "act with impunity and break our laws must be dealt with accordingly."

He recalled praising the government in May 2025 when the Immigration Service launched a repatriation drive against foreign beggars. "I commended them for a good job," Abadoo stated. "I even applauded the Foreign Minister, Okudjeto Ablakwa, for the initiative when we met in China."

"Unfortunately," he noted, "these beggars have returned to the major streets of Accra, causing a nuisance to motorists and pedestrians."

Highlighting the security implications, Abadoo expressed concern over beggars who operate with children. "These children receive no formal education. They will grow up without any skills, and these are the people who often become armed robbers, disturbing the peace of Ghanaians," he observed.

He also cited a personal witness account of a traffic accident caused by a motorcycle rider swerving to avoid a beggar. "The rider injured his leg. A Ghanaian suffers, losing his livelihood, because of these foreigners. It is not good enough," Abadoo emphasized.

On the social impact, he argued that unchecked begging teaches the wrong lessons. "They are invariably teaching Ghanaians that begging is acceptable," he said. Abadoo questioned the narrative of poverty, suggesting it is often a business venture. "How can a genuinely poor person afford travel by flight or bus to Ghana specifically to beg?"

Regarding public health, Abadoo warned that some of these individuals sell illicit drugs, including male sexual enhancement medicines. "They mix unknown substances and sell them to unsuspecting Ghanaian men, unbeknownst to them that it destroys their internal organs," he said. "Such health hazards affect the future of our men and add to the nation's health burden."

He lamented a perceived Ghanaian tendency to not sustain good initiatives and called on the government to remember its primary responsibility to its citizens. Abadoo underscored the need to address the issue devoid of partisan politics, noting that citizens have a duty to hold the government accountable without every critique being politicized.

He used the platform to call on the Foreign Minister, National Security, and the Interior Ministry to collaborate and rid the streets of these beggars.